Coop design, questions about products!

[Chick_a_dee]

Hi guys... we're looking at getting the existing coop on the acerage back into function in time for the chicks to move into it, probably in September they'll be in there. ANYWAY, it needs new siding, and we found this stuff at the homedepot, called smartside, panel siding. http://www.ilevel.com/exterior/e_LP-SmartSide-Siding-Trim.aspx

And I was wondering..what do you guys think of using a large dog door as a chicken coop-to-run door... the one that has a deadbolt lock on it, we're putting a human door in, and then a small door in the human door, so we can walk into the coop from the run, it's what we do for our dog runs. Opinions?

 

[Iowamom]

I am just a newbie around here, but I think that is a great idea - the door in from the run. I may have to put in something like that myself. That would sure be convenient.

 

[Chick_a_dee]

Quote:
It's REALLY convienient for the dog runs, because although they are outside...they do still need cleaning, and unlike the chicken runs, they can't have a door in the actual run mesh. Our coop has 9 foot ceilings, theres a door in one side, which leads into a viewing area, in which there is a wall of chickenwire with a small door in it, that'll end up being replaced with hardware mesh, and it will eventually have nesting boxes mounted in it, with access to collect eggs from the viewing area. The viewing area is also going to have an area for some steel bins to put chicken feed in. All the doors (which is two!) are getting replaced with heavy duty exterior steel doors, that are firerated, the one out into the run is hopefully, if I get the approval, a doggy door with a deadbolt, its more expensive than doing it ourselves, but we know for sure that it's racoon proof, because we use them in the dog kennel. We're also installing fire code rated insulation, we used it in our garage and it's AMAZING.

Coop doesn't have windows yet, but we're going to see what we like at the re-store.

 

[Davaroo]

Do you mean the push open type pet door? I have never seen anyone on BYC use them, nor the chicken that would use it. If it can be done someone HERE would try it, fer sure.

But, just cause my chickens have always been dopes doesn't mean you cant teach yours to use one.... I dunno.

I read something on the ATTRA site yesterday which you may wish to consider along these lines.

"Pop holes," ie, chicken doors, should be wide enough to accomodate a couple of birds at a time. The silly things often will rush a door and block it, hurting themselves in the bargain.

The EU even has guidelines about this for pastured poultry:
"Provide exits that are big enough that birds don’t block the door. EU legislation requires 4 meters of pophole for every 100 square meters of house (13 feet of pophole per 1076 square feet)."

The tiny little holes you sometimes see, barely wide enough for one bird to squeeze through, leave something to be desired it seems.

 

[Chick_a_dee]

Quote:
We'd be getting the doggy door for the largest size dog, and the one with the deadbolt actually has a sliding panel, not a flap. It bolts into place when closed, so nothing can get in, or out at night. We'd be placing it in a large human door, for our use, but it could also be opened for the chickens use.

 

[joebryant]

Quote:
That's good to know. I'm planning my pop door now. Thanks